bible for the day

Real Freedom

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , , , , , , , , ,

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

Today is the fourth of July. A day that Americans celebrate their independence from Great Britain. A day this country became free from colonial rule. Now instead of taxation without representation, we have taxation with representation. Now instead of Boston tea parties, we have political tea parties. Instead of a nation where people died for their freedom, we have a nation where people die because of their freedom. Yet real freedom is more than law, rule, or independence. Real freedom is a matter of the Spirit.

When people are slaves of an ungodly spirit, it may look like freedom at the start, but leads to a spirit of addiction, greed, and narcissism. Likewise when the spirit lives in fear of poverty, unemployment, war, crime, or political unrest, can one truly be free? When housing is stolen through slack governmental regulations, is that real freedom? When basic healthy food is limited by top prices for only the financial able, is that real freedom?

Where can one find real freedom?

The apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthian faith-community addressed a similar situation. He wrote about the veil that blinds people’s eyes from experiencing real freedom. What opens that veil? Paul speaks plainly when he states that the veil is only lifted through Jesus Christ. That Jesus Christ is the central core of life. He connects heaven with earth. He reveals what life is all about. He is the reason for life. He is the answer from addiction, self-harm phobias, and distrustful relationships. He is the author of freedom, lives freely, and shares His freedom.

His Spirit travels along with the Father’s Spirit via the Holy Spirit. This is the Triune God. Real freedom is found living within the Triune God circle. When we died to the self by surrendering to the King; we were spiritually re-born in Christ (Jn. 3:3-8). A new life began. A new creation started (2 Corinthians 5:17). A life that merges our personality and soul with the Spirit of the living God. A marriage between heaven and earth (Rev.21:1-5). The adoption into the family of God (Eph. 1:5). Included in this relationship is the joy of freedom.

Yes, real freedom is found only in Jesus Christ; not in a religion, crusade, nor great cause. So if you haven’t experienced real freedom yet, maybe it is time to do business with the Lord. Ask him, seek him, and knock on the door that he presents. He will lead you to experience the freedom that comes through an intimate relationship with Himself. He has been doing it for almost 2,000 years with a long list of testimonials. So unless you truly don’t want to be free, why not today? It is a great day to celebrate freedom.

OUR PRAYER

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Our real Father, Son, and Spirit: thank you for everything you have shown us. Thank you for creating a new person from our brokenness. Help us to truly experience your freedom. Whatever we are currently enslaved with, help us break the chains. Shower upon us your grace. Help us to celebrate your freedom that lives in us. In everything we do, let us share your freedom with others. We glorify your name, your freedom, your Kingdom. For now and forever. Amen.

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Mike

Consultant, Coach, Encourager
Author of Great Business Emulates A Good God

Enjoy Life

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , , , ,

When you take the time to look at people in your workplace, home, neighborhood, church, gym, or family, how many do you know that truly enjoy life? Doesn’t it seem like most people are hurriedly jumping from one activity to another without truly rejoicing in what they do? How many people do you know that truly sing when they are actively working? No, not listen to the music of others, but truly deep inside rejoice with beautiful (to them) joyful noise? Doesn’t it seem most people we meet have a plastic smile on their face as they force themselves to complete whatever they are doing so they can move on to the next item on their daily to do list? Then again, how many people say that IF they had a different job, or made more money, or were married (or single), or whatever, that they would definitely be enjoying life more? But would they?

There are many factors that may cause a person to lose their joy, and I am not going to dwell on all of them. But the one that I am going to shout out today is my personal favorite: Life in Christ. For most of us this is simply a religious expression within the Christian culture. For myself, it is the core of life. Life only makes sense when one truly comes to know who Jesus is, understand who He is, and apply His teachings in their daily life. When one comes to that point in their journey, one truly begins to be free, amazed, and rejoicing in life’s adventurous relationship with the Creator God.

When one walks with Him, one acknowledges that his purpose is supreme over any personal plans. And one rejoices that He allows us to participate with Him in His purpose. As we participate with Him, we begin to experience the freedom that comes from serving the King who made us all free from the darkness of Satan and the rebellion of godliness. Not only are we free, but gracefully amazed at His loving nature and supreme care for each of us. He will pursue us even if one of us leave the 100-fold in pursuit of our personal desires. But more importantly, after one has an intimate relationship with the Supreme Lover of the universe, who else is there? what else compares? When one reads such scriptures as:

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” 1 Timothy 6:17

“In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:23-24

“These things I have spoken to you, that my (Jesus) joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I (Jesus) came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

“There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God.” Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

These are only a few of the scriptures that immediately come to mind when we behave radically in Christ – that is enjoy life in Him. What if you became a committee of one and ask our heavenly Father to open the gates of heaven and earth so you may fully enjoy life the way He created life to be? And as you do so, and as you let His blessings flow to those you know and meet, what a wonderful testimony of Kingdom reality as God is glorified. So why not today, Be radical – Enjoy Life in Christ!

OUR PRAYER

prayer 5

Our great Father God, Lord God, and Spirit God: thank you for everything you have provided to us at this time for our enjoyment. Thank you for our mates. Thank you for our children. Thank you for all the people in our little world. Thank you for our struggles and challenges that allow us to learn more from you and trust in you. Thank you for your words and promises of encouragement. Thank you for letting us to be grateful. Thank you for everything you have created for our enjoyment. Thank you for allowing us to share our joy with others. Thank you for everything you give and everything you provide and everything you are and everything you do and everything you share with us for your sake. Help us to truly appreciate and enjoy everything you have given us to enjoy. No matter how small or how large, help us always to be grateful. Amen. Amen.

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Mike

Consultant, Coach, Encourager
Author of Great Business Emulates A Good God
Portal: EnjoyLifeInChrist.com

If You Are Seeking a Devotional Study, Check Out My New Book Be Radical…Follow Christ.

Joy of the Lord

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , , , , ,

“Then he said to them, ‘Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’” Nehemiah 8:10

Israel was a nation chosen by God for His purpose of ultimately adopting humanity into the Triune God circle. With Abraham, God began moving history towards His foreordained purpose. From the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we have the twelve tribes of Israel; that turned into the nation of Israel under Saul, David, and Solomon; that eventually led to the birth of Jesus Christ and the redemption of humanity. So whenever we look at the nation of Israel and are honest with ourselves, don’t we view our own life through a similar mirror? How often do we look at the nation of Israel and shake our heads in amazement of their disbelief and behavior in their walk with the Lord? Yet if we be honest with ourselves, are we any different?

Around 500 B.C. Nehemiah was a governmental leader and Ezra the high priest. After the nation came out of another painful stupor of being disciplined, they rediscovered the Torah and the Words of God written for them. So on this day, the 1st day of their 7 month, they celebrated the Feast of Booths, a celebration of their harvest season. The feast was a seven day event followed by one last great day. The first and last day of the feast were Sabbatical Holy days and the nation would assembly and worship their God. This day though the nation rediscovered the Words of God and celebrated by reconfirming disciplines that they had previously stopped conducting.
In the midst of their celebration, Nehemiah expressed the concept that “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” Not Israel’s joy. Not Nehemiah’s joy. Not anyone’s joy but the Lord’s. In fact, doesn’t this imply that our Lord has joy that he wants to share with others? Doesn’t this also imply that His joy is stronger and more effective than any joy we may experience apart from him? Also, doesn’t this imply that our Lord wants us to experience His joy?

A recent poll revealed that most parents want their children to grow up happy and successful. The poll didn’t ask the parents to define happy or successful, but that they wanted the best for their children. Yet many parents have difficulty in separating happiness from joy. Happiness as many of us old timers have discovered, is a byproduct of the surrounding circumstances and physical components in our life. The challenge is that many of the circumstances we desire and believe need to be happy are outside of one’s control and are dependent on physical stimulus or expectations that may or may not occur. In other words, happiness is a temporary condition that always seem slightly out-of-our-reach. Yet on the other hand, joy is the fruit of a Spirit that perpetually and naturally exudes real, in-depth rejoicing from the inside-out. It doesn’t rely on outside or physical stimulus to celebrate; it simply and naturally expresses itself because Joy is an attribute of the Triune God that lives in the soul of a believer.

So when we say our strength is in the joy of the Lord, we acknowledge that God’s Spirit resides in us, empowers us, and expresses His life through us. That our courage and backbone is found in Christ, celebrated with the Holy Spirit, and uplifted by the Creator’s own divine nature that passes in us, through us, and from us. As we desist, He increases. As we view life through His eyes, His plans, and His purposes, we rejoice with Him and He rejoices with us. We become one in Spirit and one in Purpose and one in Joy. And with such joy, wouldn’t that be a strong attribute that glorifies God and His people? Isn’t this the type of joy (and real happiness) we all truly want?

OUR PRAYER

life1

Our heavenly Joyous Father, Lord, and Spirit: thank you for expressing your life in us and through us and with us. Thank you for allowing us to experience your life in us and through us and with us. Thank you for sharing your life and especially your attribute of joy. Shower upon us you joy. Let your joy influence the people around us. Let your joy come alive and captivate the people we meet. Let your joy be contagious. Let others capture your joy and experience your love and peace along with it. Let everyone we meet; every place we go; every word we share; let it be sprinkled, covered, and saturated with your joy. Let your joy be our strength through calamities and trials and tests. Let everything we say, think, and do explode with your joy. Amen

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Mike

Consultant, Coach, Encourager
Author of Great Business Emulates A Good God